The present invention relates to a wheel suspension arrangement and, more particularly, to an independent wheel suspension for passenger motor vehicles. The wheel suspension includes a wheel carrier supported relative to a vehicle body through guide elements which determine, with respect to lateral forces, an upper and lower guide point for the wheel carrier. At least one of the guide points being elastic in a transverse direction relative to the vehicle body. The upper and lower guide points together fix a vertical first pivot axis for the wheel carrier and the wheel carrier is supported about a transversely extending track rod which, in a side view, is laterally offset.
A wheel suspension of the aforementioned type is proposed in, for example, German Auslegeschrift No. 1,903,640, wherein an upper guide element formed by a shock absorber strut, is connected to the wheel carrier and forms an upper guide point which, in turn, is supported on the vehicle body by an elastic articulation means. A lower guide element, formed by a half shaft of the axle arrangement mounted on the wheel carrier, is inflexibly supported in a transverse direction with respect to a differential gear of the vehicle axle arrangement. A track rod is articulated to the wheel carrier so as to be, in a side view, rearwardly offset. A wishbone arm for providing longitudinal guidance extending obliquely forwardly, as viewed in a normal driving direction of the vehicle, is provided with a spring means being supported on the wishbone arm.
Typically, a shock absorber strut is articulatingly connected to the vehicle body, with a point of articulation being elastically flexible but virtually rigid with respect to forces resulting from the application of a lateral force. A bearing of the respective half shafts in a wheel carrier forms the guide points for determining a first pivot axis which extends essentially vertically in a transversely extending wheel center plane. Lateral forces are exerted at a position rearwardly offset with respect to the first pivot axis and are absorbed through the track rod which is also rearwardly offset. The elasticities provided in the support for the track rod relative to the vehicle body and/or wheel carrier lead to the wheel carrier, together with the wheel attached thereto, being pivoted in a toed out direction under the influence of lateral forces. This, as a rule, is undesirable, particularly for rear wheels of passenger motor vehicles, since the suspension for the rear wheels is generally constructed with a view toward understeering in cornering of the vehicles which is conventional in passenger motor vehicles designed for comfort.
To achieve a pivoting in a toe-in direction under an influence of lateral force, it has been proposed to arrange a pivot axis determined by the guide points so that the axis pierces a wheel contact plane behind a point of engagement of the lateral force, as seen from the side. However, especially in view of the elasticity of the wheel suspension, the locating of the pivot axis in this proposed manner by no means always leads to the desired result and, consequently, there are a number of compromises especially for production vehicles designed for the greatest possible driving comfort in order, on the one hand, to achieve the sought after driving comfort at least approximately through the appropriate elastic mounting means in the wheel suspension and, on the other hand, to guarantee a satisfactory handling characteristic along with the necessary driving safety. However, the same type of suspension is frequently employed not only for production vehicles designed for comfort but also for sports vehicles for which relatively low comfort standards are required. Additionally, it may be desirable to provide a motor vehicle having a chassis construction which is more of a sporting version and, in which case, perhaps cornering behavior of the vehicle with a tendency to oversteer may sometimes be required for such chassis construction. However, the change requirements for the various types of chassis for a sport version vehicle and a production vehicle constructed for comfort generally necessitate relatively considerable modifications for the wheel suspension.